Karaoke songs in Japanese that are easy for men in their 40s to sing
If you’re a man in your 40s, you probably often find yourself heading to karaoke after work-related drinking parties or reunions with old friends, where you can’t really avoid singing, right?
But don’t you sometimes struggle with what to sing in those moments?
A lot of people feel unsure about what to pick—maybe you don’t know the latest hits well enough to sing them, or you’re not confident in your singing to begin with.
So in this feature, we’ll introduce songs that are easy to sing and well-known across generations, focusing mainly on classic hits from the 1990s to the early 2000s—exactly the era when today’s forty-something men spent their youth.
That period was truly the golden age of J-pop, and getting songs widely sung at karaoke was one of the absolute requirements for boosting sales.
In other words, it’s a treasure trove of easy-to-sing tracks!
We hope this article helps you relive the fun of your younger days and rediscover the joy of singing.
Karaoke songs in Japanese that are easy for men in their 40s to sing (1–10)
To live by loving and being lovedKenji Ozawa
Kenji Ozawa, the artist known for “Tonight Is Boogie-Back.” Many of his own songs are ennui-tinged and emphasize a distinct world-building sensibility, and he continues to enjoy enduring popularity.
Among his works, the one I especially recommend is “Ai Shi Aisarete Ikiru no sa” (“To Love, Be Loved, and Live”).
With an extremely catchy vocal line and a relatively narrow range, it is one of the easiest songs to sing in his catalog.
It’s catchy across generations as well, so be sure to add it to your repertoire.
Someday, in a world of nothingnessMacaroni Enpitsu
In addition to general rock, Macaroni Empitsu is a band with a wide musical range, from psychedelic to hard rock.
For men who like Japanese rock, you could say they’re an extremely popular band.
Among their songs, the one I especially recommend is Itsuka Nani mo Nai Sekai de.
Although the song sits in an easy-to-sing range of mid1 A to hi A, it still builds excitement properly, and in the chorus you can let out a big voice with a near-shouted feel.
The scat-like section at the end of the chorus starts with a shout, so it’s good to aim for a slightly more vigorous, rough vocal style.
Shangri-LaDenki Groove
People in their 40s can be said to be a generation that has been exposed to a wide range of musical styles.
Among them, many likely experienced the early impulses of techno and R&B.
With that in mind, I recommend Denki Groove’s classic “Shangri-La.” This song is characterized by a breezy feel with touches of surreal atmosphere throughout.
Surprisingly, the vocal line is actually quite easy to sing.
It might seem a bit high, but the range itself is narrow, so anyone can sing it as long as they set the key properly.
The lack of long sustained notes is another welcome point.
RewriteASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION
People in their late 20s to early 30s are the generation that lived through the golden age of Japanese rock.
Among those bands, ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION was especially popular with men.
Of all their songs, the one I particularly recommend is Rewrite.
It stays in a low register for much of the track, which makes the chorus feel explosively open by contrast, and the almost roar-like phrases really fire up the crowd.
Because the verses sit so low, it’s tempting to raise the key, but if you match it to that, the chorus will be tough—so find a comfortable middle ground and sing in a moderately adjusted key.
GLORIAZIGGY
When it comes to easy-to-sing songs recommended for men in their 40s, ZIGGY’s “GLORIA” is surely a perfect fit.
Considered one of the band’s signature tracks, it was a major hit from the late 1980s to the early 1990s.
While the song does have a certain level of high notes, the vocal line is very singable throughout.
It leans on the higher side, but since it stays within the mid-to-high range, the overall range is relatively narrow.
If the pitch feels high, adjusting the key to suit your voice should make it absolutely singable.
Wonderful DaysUnicorn
Unicorn’s classic song “Subarashii Hibi.” Unicorn has many great tracks, but this one—known as one of their biggest hits—boasts exceptional singability.
There are three reasons it’s so easy to sing: first, the vocal range is narrow; second, the pitch movements are gentle; and third, it doesn’t demand much vocal power.
There aren’t many songs that check all three boxes, so it’s fair to call this a very easy song to sing.
It’s even suitable for third-round karaoke, so consider adding it to your repertoire.
JUST ONE MORE KISSBUCK-TICK
Recently, the visual-kei rock band BUCK-TICK has been working energetically under their new lineup.
Many men in their 40s may have admired them for their high-sense musicality that evokes the aesthetics of David Bowie.
Among BUCK-TICK’s works, the song I especially recommend as easy to sing is “JUST ONE MORE KISS.” This piece has a very narrow vocal range and contains few long sustained notes, making it one of the easiest songs to sing in their catalog.